BoxRec

Unconfirmed reports indicate that Antonio Tarver has vacated his IBF light-heavyweight crown prior to facing Roy Jones Junior. Thus Clinton Woods against Glencoffe Johnson next Friday at the Hillsborough Leisure Centre in Sheffield could be a vacant title crack. It's currently an IBF eliminator.

Be great if it's true. I think Clinton Woods is very deserving of another crack at the title.

Do the promoters have to pay a sanction fee for an eliminator? I assume they do. And I suppose the fee for a full world title is significantly more, which would surely mean that the BBC in turn would have to fork out more £££. Could all that all be sorted out in a week? How cool would that be for Woods to suddenly find himself fighting for a vacant title. The injury that caused the postponement could've been the best thing that ever happened to him.

Kilburn wrote:The injury that caused the postponement could've been the best thing that ever happened to him.

How very true.

While I do wish (as a Brit and a fan of Woods) this is for the vacant World title if I'm honest I'd be dissapointed if it was. Whilst Glencoffe Johnson is a solid opponent, he's hardly a world beater and seems to lose more than he wins when he steps it up.

Don't get me wrong I think this is one of Woods' most difficult fights, but really if he does come unstuck then that will only prove the sceptical American public correct that he was one of Roy Jones' weakest challengers. I don't think he his, but if he loses to Johnson then I'll have to admit that his WBC #1 ranking was flattering. Roy Jones would have been lambasted if he'd have faught Johnson.

If Woods is geniune world class, then he should come through via a clear decision - I'm not saying Johnson isn't good enough to give World class fighters a scare or two, but he normally does lose.

Johnson is a solid 11-20 fighter in the devision, but nothing more. In Klemesten and Ashley I think Woods has beaten higher ranked fighters (at the time).

My belief is that Woods can certainly mix it with the likes of Tarver, and Gonzales. Infact, I probably to tip him to beat them. Unfortunately, that is more an indication of the lack of depth on this devision. So really, it Woods' time to move up in class - I still don't believe Jones is going to stick around in this devision. So the titles will soon be there for either himself of Joe Calzaghe (if he wants it).

Really, though I think Johnson has been given a bit to much credit - he's never been in the ring magazine or Boxing monthly's top ten. But again, in some quarters he's being hyped as an acid test. He's solid and one of Wood's better opponent, but a world beater he's not and he shouldn't contest for the IBF crown. He was okay as an eliminator opponent, because if he does cause the upset, then he would move into the top ten.

For me, it is being hypicritical if you are tipping Johnson to win the fight, but at the same time feel that Woods' shot at Jones was justified. In my opinion, in tipping Johnson to win your saying that Woods' doesn't belong with the worlds elite - so if he's not in the world's elite then why did he warrant a fight with Jones.

I believe Woods' was justified his shot, but also believe he'll be too much for Johnson. If Johnson wins, then my assessment of Woods' will change dramatically.

Boxingtalk have got a story running at the moment concerning this issue.

It sounds like Tarver has given up the belt, and has given a good explanation as to why.

Basically, he says that should (or "when") he wins he has a rematch clause which means he would be stripped of the belt anyway. So why should he pay the sanctioning fees when he's not going to have the belt much longer anyway (even if he does win).

Fightnews report that the sanction fee for the full title is £20,000. Surely this is too much to find at this late stage.

No wonder there's so many alphabet boys if they charge such exorbitant fees.